The best SAT prep apps in 2026

The best SAT prep app on the App Store is Smartschool, which says it offers 50 full-length adaptive practice tests and 5,000+ questions modeled on the digital SAT, though full access costs from $49.99. The best free option is Khan Academy, free with no in-app purchases, for rebuilding math and grammar skills. Whatever app you use, take the College Board's own full-length practice tests in Bluebook, the official app the digital SAT is given in, before test day.

Quick answer

• Best overall: Smartschool. The largest bank of digital SAT-style questions and full-length adaptive tests in one app, with an AI tutor.
• Best free option: Khan Academy. Free math, grammar and reading practice with a mastery system and no in-app purchases.
• Best for the final weeks: Prepful. Short "Boosts" on the skills the app predicts will gain you the most points before your test date.
• Best for daily goals: Linus. A plan built from your target score and test date, with a list of goals each day.
• Best for SAT and ACT: AlphaTest. One subscription for both tests, with a switch between them.
• Best for video explanations: Magoosh SAT. A video explanation for every one of its 1,750+ questions, listed at a single $129.00 price.
• Best for short daily practice: Dolphin. A free swipeable feed of questions, plus an optional app-blocking Focus Mode.
• Best gamified practice: Brainblast. Level-based practice in a cartoon style, at the highest prices on this page.

Comparison table

What the digital SAT changes about choosing an app

The SAT is now taken on a laptop or tablet in the College Board's Bluebook app. It has two sections, Reading and Writing, and Math, and each is split into two modules: how you do on the first module sets the difficulty of the second. A Desmos graphing calculator is built into the Math section. Scores still range from 400 to 1600.

Two things follow for app choice. First, an app's full-length tests should be adaptive by module, or they will not feel like the real thing. Smartschool, AlphaTest and Magoosh describe adaptive full-length tests in their listings. Second, a phone is a fine place for daily question practice, but the real test happens on a bigger screen, so do at least a few full tests on the device you will use on test day. Bluebook's official practice tests are free.

Bluebook itself did not appear among the App Store results we compared for this page, so it is not ranked, but it should be part of every plan.

How to choose

• If you have no budget: Khan Academy for skills, Dolphin for daily questions, and Bluebook for full practice tests.
• If your test is less than two months away: Prepful or Linus, which build a plan backward from your test date.
• If you are still deciding between the SAT and ACT: AlphaTest or Prepful, which include both in one subscription.
• If you learn best by watching someone solve a problem: Magoosh SAT, with a video for every question, though it has not been updated since May 2024.
• If you want the most practice material: Smartschool, which claims 50 full-length tests, or AlphaTest, which claims 30.
• If staying motivated is the problem: Brainblast's game levels or Dolphin's streaks and Focus Mode. Our guide to focus and Pomodoro apps has more options.

Smartschool: Best overall

Smartschool is a dedicated digital SAT app. The developer says it has 5,000+ questions covering all 42 math and 28 reading and writing question types, 50 full-length adaptive practice tests that mirror module jumps and scoring, a personalized plan, and two AI tutors called Mark and Ivy. The screenshots show a math question with an inequality, a "Why?" button for the explanation, and a "Well done!" confirmation.

On the US App Store in November 2026, Digital SAT Prep is listed at $49.99 or $99.00 for 1 month, $89.99 or $199.00 for 3 months, $119.99, $239.00 or $299.00 for 6 months, and $299.00 for 12 months. The two price levels for the same length suggest different plan tiers, but the listing does not explain them, nor what is free.

Strengths: large question bank, many full tests, updated in October 2026, a 4.6 rating from 1,400 reviews. Limits: expensive; the "200+ points in 6 weeks" claim on its screenshots is the developer's own figure; usage data is declared for tracking; English only.

Khan Academy: Best free option

Khan Academy is a nonprofit library of free lessons and exercises, with an Apple Editors' Choice badge and a 4.6 rating from 112,900 reviews. The listing shows no in-app purchases. It covers arithmetic through calculus, grammar, and science, with practice exercises, step-by-step hints and a mastery system that suggests what to study next. You can download content to study offline.

The description does not mention the SAT by name; its first screenshot shows a "Test prep" category in the subject list, and another shows the mastery points view. For SAT purposes, treat it as the best free way to fix weak math and grammar foundations, and pair it with official practice tests.

Strengths: completely free, no tracking, a huge range of math content, available in 26 languages. Limits: the listing does not describe SAT-specific practice tests; it is rated 13+ on the App Store; no score prediction or test-date plan is mentioned.

Prepful: Best for the final weeks

Prepful is new (released in June 2026) and says it is built for the final weeks before the SAT. You enter your test date and target score; the app ranks skills by how many points it estimates you can gain and serves short "Boosts" on one skill at a time, with an AI companion called Pax. The screenshots show a projected score curve to test day and a list of skills such as Inferences and Boundaries with estimated point gains. ACT practice is included in the same subscription.

Prepful Pro is listed from $9.99 (weekly) to $149.99 (yearly) on the US App Store in November 2026, with monthly items at $29.99 and $39.99. The developer says it is free to start with no credit card.

Strengths: focused on prioritizing weak skills, covers both tests, regular updates. Limits: point estimates are the app's predictions, not guarantees; identifiers are declared for tracking; under 600 ratings so far.

Linus: Best for daily goals

Linus builds a plan from your target score and test date, then gives you a list of goals each day. The screenshots show "Days until test", target and predicted scores, and goals such as practicing 10 hard linear equations or reviewing 15 past mistakes. It covers Math, Reading, Writing and Vocabulary, and the developer offers a 250+ point improvement guarantee and a 3-day free trial.

The price list has two tiers on the US App Store in November 2026: Premium at $24.99 (quarterly) or $49.99 (yearly), and Turbo from $24.99 up to $499 or $600 for a year. The listing does not explain the difference between them.

Strengths: clear daily direction, mistake review, the Premium yearly price is the lowest yearly price among the paid apps here. Limits: the App Store age rating notes advertising; seven data types are linked to you and identifiers are used for tracking; last updated in May 2026; check the guarantee's terms before relying on it.

AlphaTest: Best for SAT and ACT

AlphaTest covers both tests in one app. The developer says it has 15,000 official-style questions, 30 adaptive full-length practice tests, weakness drills, error tracking, an AI tutor, and lessons on using Desmos faster on the SAT. The screenshots show SAT and ACT question screens side by side with "Mark for Review", calculator and reference buttons, similar to the real test interface.

AlphaTest Pro is listed at $9.99 (weekly), $29.99 (monthly), $129.99 (6 months), $149.99 (yearly) and $199.99 (12 months) on the US App Store in November 2026.

Strengths: good if you have not chosen between the SAT and ACT; Desmos strategies; no tracking declared; available in 5 languages. Limits: only 285 ratings; contacts are among the data linked to you; "official-style" means written to resemble official questions, not taken from the College Board.

Magoosh SAT: Best for video explanations

Magoosh has offered SAT prep for years and its app is a good fit for students who learn by watching. The listing says every one of its 1,750+ questions has a video explanation, and it adds 200+ video lessons, 3 full-length adaptive practice tests, study schedules and offline use. The screenshots show a math question with a video and a written explanation underneath. Magoosh offers a score guarantee: at least 100 points higher or your money back, according to the listing.

Magoosh SAT Premium is listed at $129.00 on the US App Store in November 2026, the only paid item.

Strengths: video for every question, a single price tier ($129.00) instead of a menu of plans, no tracking. Limits: last updated in May 2024, the oldest update among our picks; only 3 full practice tests; the listing does not say what is free before you pay.

Dolphin: Best for short daily practice

Dolphin turns SAT and ACT practice into a swipeable feed of questions with a daily goal, worked explanations, video solutions where available, and a tutor called Pip. Its Focus Mode, with your permission, uses Apple's Screen Time controls to block apps you choose until you finish your daily goal. The screenshots show a geometry question in the feed, a vocabulary tab, and an explanation of why an answer choice fails.

The listing shows no in-app purchases, though the description mentions optional subscriptions and says features may vary.

Strengths: free to use as listed, built around a small daily goal (a screenshot advertises 15 questions a day), a 4.8 rating from 1,400 reviews. Limits: eight data types are linked to you, including location and search history; a screenshot advertises "Official SAT & ACT questions" while the description says Dolphin is not affiliated with the College Board; no full-length tests are described.

Brainblast: Best gamified practice

Brainblast turns SAT practice into a game: topic-based levels, a target score, streaks, and step-by-step explanations. The screenshots show a level map for Reading and Writing with locked levels, a cartoon mascot, and a plan screen with a predicted score and days left.

It is the most expensive app here. Brainblast Max is listed at $149 for 1 month or 30 days, $199 for 3 months, $249 for 6 months and $299 for 12 months on the US App Store in November 2026, with gem packs at $1.99 and $19.99.

Strengths: engaging for students who avoid traditional prep; released in 2026 and updated in October 2026. Limits: high prices; requires iOS 18.2; four data types are used for tracking and contacts are linked to you; rated 13+; under 600 ratings.

What we left out

• BigFuture School: the College Board's free app for viewing in-school SAT and PSAT scores and exploring colleges and careers; it is not a practice app.
• Varsity Tutors SAT Prep: not updated since 2019 and still describes the old paper SAT sections.
• OnePrep: offers mock exams and an AI tutor, but its prices reach $589 a year and its student count differs between screenshot and description.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an official SAT app?

Yes. Bluebook is the College Board's official app: the digital SAT is taken in it, and it includes free full-length practice tests. The College Board also publishes BigFuture School, which shows in-school SAT and PSAT scores and helps with college and career exploration, but does not offer practice. None of the paid apps on this page is affiliated with the College Board.

What is the best free SAT prep app?

Khan Academy is the strongest free app for building the math and grammar skills the SAT tests. Dolphin offers free daily SAT and ACT questions. For full-length practice, use the free tests in Bluebook. Among the paid apps, Linus offers a 3-day free trial and Prepful says it is free to start.

Can you prepare for the SAT using only your phone?

You can do most daily practice on a phone, but the real test runs on a laptop or tablet with on-screen tools like the Desmos calculator. Take several full practice tests on the device you will use on test day. Keep reading practice on a larger screen too, since passages and answer choices are easier to compare there.

Are paid SAT prep apps worth it?

They can be, if you use them daily: the paid apps here offer bigger question banks, full-length adaptive tests and plans tied to your test date. Prices vary widely, from $49.99 a year for Linus Premium to $299 for a year of Brainblast or Smartschool. Start with a free trial where one exists, and check that the full tests are adaptive by module.

Do SAT score guarantees work?

Magoosh promises at least 100 points or your money back, and Linus advertises a 250+ point guarantee, according to their listings. Guarantees like these usually come with conditions set by each company, and the App Store listings do not spell them out. Read the terms on the developer's site before you count on a refund.

Should I use flashcards for the SAT?

Flashcards help with grammar rules, math formulas and words you keep missing, but the SAT mostly tests skills in context, so question practice should come first. Magoosh also makes a free SAT flashcards app. For general card apps, see our guide to flashcard apps.